Burton "Gus" Guster
Burton "Gus" Guster (b. December 1978) is the best friend and crime-solving partner of psychic detective Shawn Spencer. He is portrayed by Dulé Hill. Biography Gus has been party to the impulsive adventures of his best friend, Shawn, since they were kids, which is why he's convinced himself that the straight and narrow -- a job as a pharmaceutical sales rep, 401(k) and a regular paycheck is right where he belongs. Being part of a psychic investigation isn't his idea of fun and makes him more likely to realize his fear that the story of Gus ends in a tragic wrongful conviction. Still, the idea of being a private investigator intrigues him, and while he is completely horrified by Shawn's behavior most of the time, he knows that the excitement and adventure of their new enterprise might just make it all worth it.http://www.usanetwork.com/series/psych/theshow/characterprofiles/gus/index.html Gus is known for having a superior sense of smell (and being a sympathy crier). He acquired this trait from his parents (well, not the sympathy-crying). He has nicknamed his nose the "Super Smeller". Gus has an incredible intellect, in most episodes giving Shawn the necessary background knowledge to solve the case. As the series continues, Gus seems more and more interested in women, usually being attracted to at least one woman in each episode. Also in the beginning of the series, Gus played the straight man, but as the series continued Gus acted more and more relaxed; acting more and like a partner to Shawn, than someone being forcibly dragged by Shawn. Also Gus has shown his comical side in his belief that Michael Jackson is still alive and Elvis died in 2008. Gus is also 1/16th robot--not the evil kind (Ep 205), and he has two left knees (401). Also, he was a Navy Scout (309). Gus is also shown to be academically advanced. As a child, he applied for and was accepted into the Meitner School for gifted students; however, his parents turned down the placement, later telling Gus that it was too far to drive. Gus's intelligence leads to the creation of many, often hilarious, theories and philosophies. For instance, Gus has a Teen Wolf theory, based on the move Teen Wolf (or Teen Wolf II). This theory states that, if some guy in his high school turned into a wolf, he wouldn't be cool with him just because he could dunk basketballs (Ep 205). Gus's parents, Bill and Winnie Guster, are overly protective of their son -- even though they didn't appear to be around when Gus once got locked in a closet with an incontinent tabby named Mr. Bee. Even as an adult, however, they still regard him as a child who needs looking after. In Season 3, he still believes his cockatoo, Mrs. Mugglesworth, went to a bird sanctuary due to a rare bird disease she contracted -- a story concocted by Gus's overprotective parents. They long disapproved of his friendship with Shawn, whom they regarded as a bad influence. After Shawn and Gus solve a murder for which Bill and Winnie had been wrongfully arrested, they mellow towards Shawn and admit that perhaps they do not need to baby Gus so much. (However, immediately after Gus leaves, they offer Shawn cash with a stern order to look after their son.) A brother has been referenced in Gus' blog on the official USA Network website, but has received no mention in the show to date. In the deleted scenes for "Gus' Dad May Have Killed an Old Guy" on the Season 2 DVD, Gus's mom mentions a brother who lives in Connecticut. In the episode "Christmas Joy" Gus' family comes to town for the holidays, including Gus' sister Joy, who shares a mutual attraction with Shawn. While in Mexico on Spring Break in 1997, Gus met Mira Gaffney and married her on a drunken binge. He broke off the relationship soon afterward, and the two lost contact until 2008, when the marriage was annulled in anticipation of Mira's upcoming wedding. He also has an uncle named "Burton Guster," nicknamed "Burt" for short. Gus has a job in pharmaceutical sales, where he makes $48,000 a year. With his vast knowledge of drugs, he helps solve cases by identifying poisons and other drugs used in crimes. He also tries to gain clients while they are interviewing doctors in a case. He drives a blue 2002 Toyota Echo hatchback (also known as the Toyota Yaris), which Shawn and Gus (mostly Shawn) call the Psych Mobile or "the Blueberry". The hatchback variant of the Echo, however, was not sold in the United States, but it was sold in Canada. (The fact that the show is shot on location in British Columbia may account for this.) Gus is an assumed Catholic. Although he rarely discusses matters of religion, it is confirmed he believes in demonic possessions, exorcisms, and that the third wiseman was black and named Balthazar. He seems to regularly attend or at least be fairly comfortable with the practice of confession. On at least two occasions when Gus attempts to make small talk with a girl he uses the line, "You heard about Pluto? That's messed up, right?" He is also a "symphathetic crier", and enjoys softer interests. He doesn't like heights, planes, or jumpsuits. Gus was described in the serial killer Mr. Yang's book as "laughing on the outside, crying on the inside. The fastidious wrinkle in the brow of Psych". Yang also wrote that Gus has "skin of pure cocoa velvet-iness" and that she would also like to "use that skin to make children's dolls". Gus is also known for his awesomeness on the tap floor in "Feet Don't Kill Me Now", as well as Dule Hill in real life, as Hill states in the "Psych Out" titled "All Tapped Out". References Burton